Love, Loss, and a Lesson

This morning started out swell. Sawyer went into his "Give" envelope (Dave Ramsey students will get this). He pulled out a $2 bill that my best friend gave him for his 8th birthday.

He said he wanted to take it to church and put it in the offering box, if there was one.

He has such a generous spirit!

He held onto it during the car ride to church (WACC). When we arrived he put it in his pocket. The boys bounded off and up to the playground, since we were extra early to church. After about 10 minutes of playing he came to me slightly panicked and told me "I lost it!" He showed me empty pockets.

My heart sank while at the same time I got angry that he had been so careless. I tried not to scold him but I know my body language communicated intense frustration. Poor kid.

He said he had looked all over the playground and even looked over at the parking lot to see if it was on the ground. It wasn't.

I walked back to the van from the playground and checked under vehicles, in our van just to make sure, and walked back to a dejected Sawyer.

I just shrugged and said, "Oh well. It's gone, Sawyer."

We are praying that the Lord will bless it wherever it is and wherever it goes. We are praying that the Lord will guide the heart of the one who found it as well and that it will be "offered" for good.

Sawyer's heart was broken. Mine broke because his broke. He was so excited to give it away and he wasn't able to.


Lord, help me to have a right heart when I use this as a teaching moment. Please mend Sawyer's heart so that this won't serve as a deterrent from him giving to bless others in the future. Please multiply the worth if this $2 bill as it circulates through the world. Give us a way to make sure Sawyer's next offerings are not lost. Amen.

One Effect of Mormon Missionaries

I was doing dishes in the kitchen just now when Sawyer came in to chat. He shared his idea of us, our family, doing a job together. This job consisted of us inviting people to church with us.

He said we would start with our neighborhood and when we were done with that we could start inviting people who come and use Cal High's field for sports.

I asked him if we would make money doing this job or if we would do this in addition to our current jobs- WACC and Parkville. He said we would do this as well as keep our current jobs and we would not make money doing this.

One reason he wanted to invite more people to church was so that they would give (tithe and beyond) and help people who are in need (homeless).

Another reason was to help people serve our community and come to our church to watch services. We would clearly "tell them what time the services are".

I asked what the services would do for the people who came. He said, "I think they would encourage them to give and learn about God."

Where did this idea come from?
"It just came into my mind and I thought it was a good idea. I remember some teenaged boys (Mormon missionaries in WA) who wanted people to serve their own community."


Lord, you are so good! You have placed a disciple-servant heart in my Sawyer. I just pray you will give me and Jake the courage to step out of our comfort zones so that your will/ plan might be fulfilled through Sawyer. Amen.

Hymns

While watching Little House on the Prairie, Sawyer says "I remember hymns. Two different times. One at Daddy's gym, when I did devotions, and one time at Grampa's new church."

ECC

Tonight at check-in we had diffulcties. Erin G. (Children's Dir) remarks "I just love your son." Why? "He is a great kid, always has funny say."

I shared that "he lost his joy at the park..." She says, "What kid says that?" 😊

Lord, thank you for using my Sawyer to entertain people and touch people wherever he goes. May he always seek to bring you glory with his existence, gifts, abilities... Amen.

Prickly Face

Feeling Daddy's prickly face, Dempsey says "Hey, Granddad has that too!"

My Kind of Creature

Sawyer: This might be inappropriate to say, but girls are my kind if creature.

Me: Why is that?

Sawyer: Because they are beautiful. Some boys think they're ugly and some think they're pretty. I'm one of the ones who thinks they're pretty. Women too.


Lord, I am pleading with you to provide a lady worthy of this man-boy. I pray she has all the qualities to compliment my son and knows how to love him the way he needs. May she be so lost in you that he can only find her by knowing YOU, Lord. May she be of pure heart and willing to hold out for the gift that is Sawyer. Amen